On the other hand, there is no official language in the United States, so the only category that must prove knowledge of English for immigration is students. Besides, in the United States, there is a unique free lottery for the opportunity to get a green card (American permanent residence).
How do you come to the United States as an immigrant?
- Family reunification immigration
US citizens and permanent residents have the right to apply to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service for an immigrant visa for their relatives. US citizens have the right to petition for their spouses, parents, children, and siblings. Legal permanent residents are entitled to apply for an immigration visa for their spouses and unmarried minor children. The number of persons arriving in the United States for permanent residence is limited by an annual quota and cannot exceed 480 thousand per year.
- Work immigration
An American employer interested in hiring a foreign worker with a special qualification can apply to the Citizenship and Immigration Service to issue such a specialist an immigration work visa, which gives him the right to permanently reside and work in the United States (Green Card). However, to protect the labor rights of Americans, the employer must obtain the consent of the US Federal Employment Service to hire a foreign worker.
To do this, he needs to provide evidence that among the working-age population of the United States there are no persons who have the necessary qualifications to perform the work to which the foreign employee is invited, and who want to work on the proposed conditions. Besides, a US employer must prove that hiring a foreign employee will not impair the working conditions of American workers or lower wages.
There are also other immigration categories for those who can apply on their own (without a job offer), in particular for investors, individuals with extraordinary ability, or special talent within the purview of the United States government.
- Refugees
A person who is persecuted in their homeland because of their affiliation with a particular racial, ethnic or religious group, membership in social or political organizations and associations, can apply to the US immigration authorities to grant him asylum in the United States. To obtain refugee status, such a person must provide convincing evidence that he is being persecuted or has reason to fear such persecution.
In some exceptional cases, refugees may apply for asylum while in their home country (such as Cuba, Vietnam, the former Soviet Union). If recognized as a refugee, the foreigner receives a visa and comes to the United States, where he receives support under the current “refugee resettlement program”.
A foreign citizen in the United States can apply for asylum if he has reasonable grounds to fear government persecution if he returns to his home country. In both cases, to obtain refugee status, it is necessary to provide substantiated evidence that the threat of persecution or persecution is real.
A foreign citizen is recognized as a refugee and is eligible for protection from the United States from the date of formal refugee status. In most cases, a foreigner has the right to apply for recognition as a refugee within one year from the date of arrival in the United States.
After one year from the date of obtaining this status, the refugee can apply to the Citizenship and Immigration Service to change his status to the status of a lawful permanent resident of the United States, which gives him the right to work in the United States, as well as the right to freely return to the United States after a short absence.